Are You Sneaky, Observant, Patient?

I wasn't sure which forum was best for this post, but seeing that it is related to survival, hopefully this is the correct place.

Part of my motives for writing this is to see if anyone else has a habit of being sneaky, stealthy, or perhaps intentionally maintaining a low profile at certain times. Or using your surroundings to observe and watch what is going on around you. Perhaps if I explain my own ways of doing that, and some other background, it will make more sense. Hopefully I won't sound like a weirdo.

The earliest that I can recall not being loud or noticeable was when I was living at home with my parents. My sisters occasionally received comments from mom or dad because of the way they'd walk around the upstairs as though they had lead feet. I, on the other hand, was very light footed. At some point I think it sunk in and I began to like the idea that I could move around inside while not being too noticeable.

Eventually, once I was able to purchase my own PC during college in the late 90s, I found that games of stealth were particularly appealing to me. Some of you may be familiar with the Thief series, in which you play a professional thief in a medieval fantasy setting, and rely heavily on shadows, moving around silently, and avoiding attention. There were other games as well, and as the years went by I think some of that entertainment attached itself to the part of me that enjoyed sneaking around.

Once I moved out on my own, in an apartment, I didn't have many occasions to be stealthy. My unit was on the ground floor, and my neighbors pretty much kept to themselves. However, sometimes while I was at work later than usual in the evenings and into the night, or on a weekend, I did have some instances when I actually put that sneaky nature to work.

There were times when I'd be there and the cleaning crew showed up. Well, I didn't want to let them keep me from grabbing something from the vending machines or using the restroom. So I'd venture out of my office and try to avoid being noticed. There were other times when I'd be there when another employee was coming in or leaving when I was out of my office for some reason. I'd dash into an office and hide in a place of concealment while waiting for them to pass.

This is a slightly different direction on this topic, but there is also the concept of awareness and patience. What is going on in my surroundings? I've found that simple observation can be extremely useful. Using ones ears and eyes while being silent and stationary can be handy. Try it sometime. Go to a busy place and just observe without being rushed. Perhaps sitting at restaurant table, use the environment to your advantage. Is there a mirror in front of you in which you can watch someone behind you? That sort of thing. Patience, attention to detail, and observation.

Actually, having written that out, it does seem a little bit goofy. But as I read about all of these potential scenarios that come to pass in our country (USA), I can't help feeling that being able to avoid detection could turn out to be a good thing.

Do any of you do this sort of thing as well? Or am I just a crazy dork who needs to take some pill for a disorder that doesn't exist yet?

[edit on 30-6-2010 by John_Q_Llama]

Hey man, i can identify with you completely. If you read my posts you'll notice a trend. It isn't so much as being sneaky always, as much as it may be having to do with the feeling of imposed judgement weather it be from yourself because of someone else, or someone elses negative thought regarding your actions/thought/looks. They call this empathy, why it affects me, and obviously you in the way it does i don't know. There is something about this type of personality that you need to be very careful with and be very observant with your own personal thought process.

Add- I understand mybe a little bit about what you mean by being observant and "slowing" everything down. Consider the type of event you may be having to live through in the near future that you were allowing yourself to have these types of abilitys because of.

Add- Be careful in your revelations, there may be something about this personality type undesirable.


[edit on 30-6-2010 by onequestion]

[edit on 30-6-2010 by onequestion]

i felt that it's best to keep a low profile my whole life, i've mostly been what i consider a "ghost" since i left the navy years ago.

i pay for all i have in cash, if i can help it, cars, clothes etc.
cellphones i go without, more so than with, i've always thought of them as "electronic leashes".
i buy things second hand, because i want to.
i dont need to an idiot with the brand spanking new and untested gadget that is overpriced.

while i do have an engaging personality and am personable, i'm reserved and quiet and observant more than attempting to show boat in social functions.

i've always been a quiet observer. and that comes from my parents when i asked them about how i was back then. my parents said i was that kid that would simply look at your actions. study them and then mimic them perfectly and go back to observing. i'd also learned to mimic voices early on, i'd have conversations with my moms friends and they wouldnt know, then as puberty hit, my dads, wow...the things i heard!

i also would(and still do) tear apart electronics and study their guts, and put them back together and they would work perfectly. VHS players were like todays new electronics, so i got in trouble when i initially tore $800 VCRs apart...lol! then my dad would be stunned when i put everything back together in working order. i know one VHS player my dad still has and plays his older movies on today!

but back to topic. quiet, yes, observer. yes. under the radar mostly. yes. plan on totally disappearing....if SHTF, hell yes!




[edit on 30-6-2010 by ahmonrarh]

[edit on 30-6-2010 by ahmonrarh]

Wow that's me alright - I was abused as a child, therefore I learned to keep a low profile to avoid being noticed so much. It pretty much stuck thru my life except for a little wild spurt I had for a couple of years when younger. I sneak around to see what's going on and not be noticed. Lightfooted as you said - quiet and patient. I can be friendly but not with people that are overbearing or too loud. And you know, I enjoy being this way, don't think I am missing out - too many loud bangs out there anyway. I pretty much keep to myself, except for my husband and my dog. They too are on the quiet side - except the dog lately - he's having problems with all the firecrackers going off near by.

So I'm not the only one Yeah, I've been practicing that just about all of my life. I'm not working up to the point where I'll be right there and no one will notice until I point myself out. Read "The Tracker", By Tom Brown for more information- it's an all around great book.

one thing about quiet and observant types, is that with the option to observe the happenings of others in this life, i believe connect the dots to choice/consequence before most do.

silent types chose their words, thoughts, motives and actions carefully.
preferring to blend in, as opposed to standing out, makes it easier for us to disappear in plain sight, for the most part.

I think you might have a slight case of paranoia. Not that it is a bad thing. You are a stealthy observant human that is obviously intriqued by human behavior. Nothing wrong with that.

The best times I ever had was just hanging out in NYC and watching people. They fascinated me. There is so much division in human behavior.

Guess I'm just like you.

reply to post by onequestion


You're touching on the mental aspect of this, right? If so, I think I follow what you're saying.

I could understand someone thinking that a desire to be inconspicuous might be the result of a lack of confidence, crowds, etc. But I've never struggled with those things. I will admit that I tend to prefer quiet environments, but I don't feel alienated at all if I find myself in other situations. The one thing that does come to mind that could be related is that I am uncomfortable being the center of attention. Years ago I used to give speeches to teens while attending youth retreats. While thoroughly enjoyed the preparation and actually speaking, the attention that came with it never sat well with me. I always felt like saying, "Hey, I'm just an average guy. No need to act as though I'm something more than that."

I do agree that there is a certain mental aspect that ties into what I described though. I think some people tend to be more patient, observant, and not as interested in drawing attention. Others, perhaps, don't think much about it, and carry on without caring. And then there are those who enjoy the attention.

Originally posted by brilab45
I think you might have a slight case of paranoia. Not that it is a bad thing. You are a stealthy observant human that is obviously intriqued by human behavior. Nothing wrong with that.

The best times I ever had was just hanging out in NYC and watching people. They fascinated me. There is so much division in human behavior.

Guess I'm just like you.

I have to agree about the paranoia. But I think that in this case it is a healthy form of paranoia, if that's possible.

reply to post by ahmonrarh


Wow, your description would fit me quite well. Interesting!

reply to post by crazydaisy


I'm sorry to hear that you had to rely on a low profile as a result of unfortunate events. It sounds like you've been able to pick yourself up and make a good life though, so kudos to you.

When you were dealing with those issues in your childhood, was a quiet demeanor more of a reaction than anything? Did it give you any comfort knowing that you could keep from attracting attention if you were careful?

I can relate, Im a ninja lol. I use to sneak out of the house a lot and what not, Im a pro. I am quite too, I dont mind shutting off the "thought narrator" in my head (or whatever you call it lol) and just observing.

I too am like this. I have the type of personality where I can be in the middle of the spotlight or the shadow of a ghost @ midnight. I started being "sneaky" when I was 5-6 years old. I had 3 brothers so ya had to be sneaky to have any quiet time. My first "missions" were sneaking downstairs @ 4-5am on saturday morning to watch cartoons n late night sci-fi movies. This is the first I can remember really starting to pay attention and learning my environment. Which floorboards squeaked, how to open the door without it squeaking, which stairs squeaked loud. If I got caught I remembered where I got busted n avoided it the next time.
As the years went on it just became habit to take note of things like this and how to navigate through life as quiet as a snake in the grass if need be. We would go on camping trips with the family or church youth groups in the mountains and forests of north carolina, this is when I really started learning how to "sneak" through the woods. We would play hide n go seek and "army" n games like that. Through playing these games I learned to move through nature almost silently, learned how to run through the forest and barely make any noise. I got good enough I could sneak up on my brothers or friends and touch them before they knew I was there. I got really good and comfortable with being in the woods, being quiet and then began to see that if you were really quiet and still that all the animals in the woods would become accustomed to you being there. That you could really become a part of nature.
We moved around a lot when I was young, my father worked for HUD managing apartment complexes. Living in these places I learned to move around quietly in urban environments and be less than noticeable.
The years went by and I eventually enlisted in the Army. I learned new ways of doing these things, and learned to incorporate what I knew into what they taught me. I got to "sneak" around a lot of places thanks to uncle sam. I got to sneak around columbia and panama. I got to "sneak" around some places in eastern europe. I got to sneak around a couple of deserts. The deserts were definitely my least favorite.
I left the service and I still find myself "sneaking" without even thinking about it. Often times ill approach a coworker and start talking to them and they'll be startled, and ill apologize, but inside I'm thinking, oh yah I still got it

reply to post by John_Q_Llama


Patient - no. I try so hard to be but fail. It runs in my family, unfortunately. I get these episodes I call 'anger snaps' that come on so suddenly and often for the lamest of reasons that it is a concern for me.

Observant- extremely so. The little details catch my eye and while working with the airlines, people watching at the airport was my favorite. I MUCH prefer to watch than be watched and will sometimes purposely dress down a bit to prevent others in public from noticing me.

Sneaky- somewhat. Not as in viciously manipulative but I like finding non conventional ways of doing things that can seem like cheating a system when I prefer to refer to it as 'working smarter, not harder.'

Stealthy- not at all. Very clumsy and make too much noise moving about. I always have some random bruising somewhere on my body due to frequently running into things. I don't even remember hitting anything to cause it!

reply to post by AshleyD


Sweetheart, come out of the straight closet and enjoy life. Don't put yourself in the position of being slightly paranoid. There is life out there to live.....go get it! You sound more reasonable than to live a life of mediocrity. Live God Darnet!

Originally posted by brilab45
I think you might have a slight case of paranoia. Not that it is a bad thing. You are a stealthy observant human that is obviously intriqued by human behavior. Nothing wrong with that.

The best times I ever had was just hanging out in NYC and watching people. They fascinated me. There is so much division in human behavior.

Guess I'm just like you.

maybe, but it's i guess healthy.

In reference to buying things as described. i watched so many people line up and do things i thought "odd" for objects, that i was basically turned off by it. i've never panicked about losing money, if my skills cant get me what i need, i dont need it. i tried the "be the first to buy a new upcoming cellphone" bit one time, and was lined up for the first motorola razor, and 6 mths later, it was offered with a plan on my old carrier for $29, when i paid $400 total for the phone and service, activation. that and buying a brand new car, killed my consumer bug, lol!!

i'm a bona fide people watcher, and like you, human behavior is fascinating to me. growing up in a major city, if you sit and observed, you'd eventually see patterns in the way people operate. that's never ceased to amuse me. that's when i learned a little about social engineering.
throw in a small wrench into someones lives, and they usually bounce off of it for a while.

a person not trying to get attention, is either a ghost, or gets attention due to not needing it. kinda crazy really.

I dont want to even get into how many times i've heard:
"OH SNAP!! I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW YOU WERE STILL HERE!"
"WHERE"D YOU COME FROM!?"
and
"DONT SNEAK UP ON PEOPLE MAN!"

ahh...good stuff.

reply to post by ahmonrarh


Here, here!

2nd line.

I think you have touched on one of the most important survival topics there is. If TSHF and you cannot stay in your home what are your choices? Go apply for a bunk in a FEMA camp or head for the woods. I'm taking the second option myself and would probably be able to disappear.

I spent many years working with sniper school instructors on camouflage, how to set up and avoid ambushes, mantracking, etc. so I'm not blowing hot air, I could literally disappear and so could you with some training.
Awareness of your surroundings is paramount in survival. If you know where others are you can make yourself be where they aren't. Understanding tracks and sign will show you where people have already been and when they were there. You may also be able to interpret who they were and what their intentions were as well from the sign they leave behind.
Use all your senses - sight, hearing, smell, touch and your intuition. There were times when I could not see or hear people but I could smell them from many yards away.
To camp concealed one must use the terrain to their advantage and find out of the way spots that others would likely not go. Do NOT make fire as this will give your location away. Avoid chopping wood and other loud noises. If in a group learn hand signals and never talk.
You must also be able to destroy whatever sign you leave behind so that others may not be able to track you.
When moving avoid walking on tops of hills or ridges, avoid open areas and stick to the edges watching carefully ahead for danger. Try to camouflage yourself and your pack, here's a thread I did a while back on that - www.abovetopsecret.com...
So much more I could write but that's the gist of it. So OP, yeah I've been sneaky my whole life and even got paid to be that way. It may be what helps me live a little longer if TSHTF.

I think it's important to add that you need to be able to spot who is carrying a concealed weapon and avoiding dangerous people and/or groups. People watching skills could be important as well.

[edit on 1-7-2010 by Asktheanimals]

I can't help feeling that being able to avoid detection could turn out to be a good thing.

Absolutley agree with that.

Now I'm not very sneaky, in fact I'm quite clumsy, and often speak loudly so it's a talent which is NOT ingrained in me. My partner on the other hand is, and he is trying to teach me. You should see us playing Splinter Cell

So yeah, it's a skill I am learning, though it's challenging!

reply to post by John_Q_Llama


When you were dealing with those issues in your childhood, was a quiet demeanor more of a reaction than anything? Did it give you any comfort knowing that you could keep from attracting attention if you were careful?


Most likely at first I was quiet as a reaction to the abuse. Yes it did give me comfort knowing I was not attracting attention. Also I might add when I was alone I found other things in life to be interesting such as insects and animals - they gave me comfort during a trying time of my life.